Old Revised Version

# New Revised Sinhala Version The alternative titles of Singhalese revised Bible and Helabasa Revised Bible are also sometimes used. ## Copyright #### 1823 Public Domain ## Publication History The first Sinhala Version was translated by a commissioner of revenue, William Tolfrey, who had completed the work by 1823. The British and Foreign Bible Society would later release a revision of the Sinhalese Bible in 1895. Tolfrey's translation avoided common colloquialisms and had a more formal tone. Likely due to his being a student of Classical Pali. Tolfrey would die at Colombo, in Ceylon on the fourth of Janurary 1817. ## Language Sinhala is the mother tongue of the Sinhalese people, who make up the largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka, numbering about 15 million. Sinhala is also spoken by other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka, totalling about 3 million.